Fire-hydrant.



No. 655,78l. Patented Aug. I4, I900. B. HUGHES.

FIRE HYDRANT.

(Application filed Nov. '4, 1897.)

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N0. 655.78l. Patented Au l4, I900. R. HUGHES.

FIRE HYDRANT.

(Application filed Nov. 4, 1897.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT HUGHES, OF WVATERFORD, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN IKNIOKERBAOKER, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

FlRE-HYDRANT'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,781, dated August14, 1900.

Application filed November 4, 1897.

Serial I To. 657,369. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT HUGHES, a citizen of the United States,residing at W'aterford, in the county of Saratoga and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves forFire-Hydrants; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in lever-operating valves forfire-hydrants; and the objects of it are to construct a lever-operatedvalve which will at all times work parallel to a desired plane, toprovide for the use of a single operating-nut or singleoperatinglever-end support, and to keep the downward motion of the gatewhen moving its seat as small as possible or to make the center of thegate keep in line with the center of the valve-opening at any positionof the valve.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the hydrantbottom, showing the valveclosed and the stand-pipe attachedto the hydrant-bottom. Fig. 2 is asection of the hydrant-bottom,showing the valve open. Fig. 3 is a viewof the lever attached to the operating-nut. Fig. 4. is a view of the armattached to the station ary support. Fig. 5 is a top View of the gate.Fig. 6 is a back view of the gate. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of thegate. Fig. 8 is a top view of the sliding block. Fig. 9 is a back viewof the sliding block. Fig. 10 is a side view of the sliding block.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghout the several views.

The casing or bottom A is of suitable form to receive the mechanism ofthe valve and the valve. It is of sufficient size to permit the valvebeing removed through the top of it, and stand-pipe B, which is boltedto the bottom, has an internal diameter equal to that of the bottom. Onthe operating-stem C, which projects outside the cover D, is placed thenut E, which can be readily turned, by means of a suitable wrench, tooperate the valve. The lower end of the stem is screwthreaded foroperating the nut F. The lower portion of the stem works in a step inthe bottom of the casing, and on the lower end of the stem is anon-actuator lever-end support T, in which the stem is free to revolveand which is attached at one end of the lever J by the pin T. The otherend of the lever J is attached to the sliding block M by means of thepin M. This piece M is ar ranged so that it slides in a slot P in theback of the gate. The lever K is fastened at one end to the nut F by thepin F, the other end being fastened to the lug N on the back of the gateby the pin N. The levers J and K are pivoted together by the pin B. Whenthe valve is drawn out from its seat, the valve is kept parallel withits seat by the piece M, working in the slot P on the back of the gate,and the levers being pivoted together at R. The piece M, working in theslot P, reduces the downward travel of the valves to a minimum, and whenthe levers are pivoted to= gether at R half-way of their length there isno downward travel of the valve.

In other arrangements used fora valve operated by a stationary leverattached to the lower end of the stem and having another lever operatedby a nut on the stem the valve is made to traveldownward to a muchgreater extent than where the lower lever is free to slide, at its endadjacent to the valve, freely upon the back of the valve, and the upperlever is pivoted stationary to the back of the valve. This moving of thevalve-face across the seats tends to injure the valve and its seat. Inmy device this movement across its face is either done away withentirely or re-' duced to such a small amount as not to affect thedurability of the valve or its seat. My device also has an advantageover those devices using two operating-nuts, as only one nut is requiredin my device and a shorter length of threaded stem can be used. I do notwish to limit myself to the upper nut or lever-end support being drawnup or down by a threaded screw, as any means of actu= ating it may beemployed other than to have the stem threaded, as hereinbefore stated. Iterm the stem in my claims the lever-actw ator for the lever end supportand the nut the lever-end support.

What I desire to claim as new and of my own invention is 1. In ahydrant-valve the combination of a casing, support and actuator for oneleverend support, a non-actuator support for the other lever, valve toclose the opening in the casing, levers crossing each otherand pivotedtogether between their ends and means for keeping the face of the valveparallel to the desired plane, and arranged to minimize the downwardtravel of the valve substantially as described.

2. In a hydrant-valve, the combination of the casing, support andactuator for one of the lever-end supports, stationary lever-end supportfor the other lever, levers attached to said supports and to the valve,a valve to close the opening in the casing, said levers being pivotedtogether between their ends,

one end of one of the levers being pivoted to the back of the valve, andone end of the other lever attached to the back of the valve so as tofreely move up or down relative to the back of the valve, substantiallyas described.

3. In a hydrant-valve, the combination of the casing, support andactuator for one of the levers, stationary lever-end support for theother lever, levers to operate the valve, a valve to close the openingin the casing, the stem being free to revolve in the lower leverendsupport substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT HUGHES. \Vitnesses:

ELI M. POWELL, J. A. PowERs.

